Flint driving mechanism for a lighter

ABSTRACT

A lighter of the type ignited by friction between a rough surface and a pyrophoric stone or flint, wherein a flint striking device includes a helical spring and a spring guide and rests, on the one hand, against said flint which it keeps in contact with said rough surface and, on the other, on a portion of the lighter itself, characterized by said striking device resting on the lighter portion through a member onto which it is hinged in such a way that during its insertion, the hinge travels along a line joining a contact point of said device with the flint with a fulcrum of the member on the lighter portion. The device may have a simple cap to which a spring guide for the flint is pivoted, but alternatively a short connecting rod member may be provided, dispensing with the cap arrangement.

tes

li/Ialatnoud [451 Sept. 17, 1974 lFlLINT DRIVING MECHANISM FOR A LIGHTER[76] Inventor: Jean Gaston Malamoud, 61 Avenue de Novel, Annecy, France[22] Filed: Sept. 7, 11973 [21] Appl. No.: 395,340

Itelated US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.180,760, Sept. 15,

1971, abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 15, 1970 France 70.33321 5211s. on. 431/276 [51] Int. Cl. F23q 11/02 [58] Field of Search 431/276,273-275 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,085 10/1941Bolle 431/276 3,583,852 6/1971 Reimm. 431/276 Primary Examiner-CarrollB. Dority, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Eric H. Waters 5 7] ABSTRACT A lighter of thetype ignited by friction between a rough surface and a pyrophoric stoneor flint, wherein a flint striking device includes a helical spring anda spring guide and rests, on the one hand, against said flint which itkeeps in contact with said rough surface and, on the other, on a portionof the lighter itself, characterized by said striking device resting onthe lighter portion through a member onto which it is hinged in such away that during its insertion, the hinge travels along a line joining acontact point of said device with the flint with a fulcrum of the memberon the lighter portion. The device may have a simple cap to which aspring guide for the flint is pivoted, but alternatively a shortconnecting rod member may be provided, dispensing with the caparrangement.

6 Cflaims, 5 Drawing Figures a. slut FLINT DIVING MECHANISM FOR ALIGHTER This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 180,760filed Sept. 15, 1971, now abandoned.

Numerous types of cigarette lighters are known wherein the ignitingspark is obtained by friction of a rough surface on a pyrophoric stoneor flint. Among the devices used for applying the pyrophoric stone tothe rough surface, one of the commonest is a helical spring arranged ina guiding tube. However, since the spring has no axial rigidity and isgenerally of smaller diameter than the tube, difficulties arise ingetting it into position.

To secure axial rigidity in the spring it has been proposed to arrangeit in a telescopic tube or to guide it with an inside rod, moreover insuch a case the spring will work under the best conditions, itsrelaxation and compression then being more or less limited.

Nevertheless, because of the small size of the spring and the littlespace usually available in a lighter, the insertion of the spring stillremains complicated. The object of the present invention is tofacilitate such insertion while securing positive retention of thespring in its working position.

The invention concerns a lighter of the type ignited through friction ofa rough surface on a pyrophoric flint, wherein a flint striking device,including a helical spring and a spring guide, rests firstly againstsaid flint which it keeps in contact with said rough surface, andsecondly on a portion of the lighter itself, characterized by the springguide resting on the lighter portion by way of a member to which it ispivoted in such a way that during the insertion of the flint-drivingdevice, the guide pivot travels along a line joining a contact point ofsaid guide with the flint and a fulcrum of the member on the lighterportion.

According to one preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, thespring guide is provided, on the side of its pivot to the member, with alug whose purpose is to restrict its displacement around the pivot.

According to another possible embodiment of the invention the member towhich the spring guide is pivoted forms at the same time the cap of ahousing containing said telescopic tube.

Other distinguishing features of the invention will appear from thefollowing description of two exemplary embodiments, given by way ofnon-limitative examples.

In the drawings,

FIG. I is a section view of a flint-driving device in the workingposition on a lighter according to the first exemplary embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. I in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a section through the line III III of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partly sectional view similar to that of FIG. I but of amodified or second embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a somewhat simplified view similar to FIG. 2 but of the secondembodiment.

Describing first the embodiment shown in FIGS. I through 3, FIG. Iincludes a solid cradle 2 carrying a rotatable milled wheel 1. Thecradle also carries a pivoted shaft 5 of a member, preferably in theform of a cap 4 which itself carries a pivoted shaft 8 of a telescopictube 6 arranged, in the working position, in a bed 3 of the solid cradle2 with a flint 9. Shafts d, 5 constitute respective first and secondpivot points between a lighter portion (e.g. an upstanding part ofcradle 2) and member or cap 4-, and between the latter and tube 6,respectively. Cap 4 has a notch 4a for ease of manipulation, such as foropening.

Tube 6 is made up of a cylinder It) and a hollow piston Ill slidinginside the cylinder, and it accommodates a helical spring 7. ElementsIII, II together form tube means which constitutes a guide for spring 7.The piston is provided with a shoulder 12 which limits its stroke bycoming to rest on an inside shoulder 13 of the cylinder III or on thecontracted end thereof.

The fulcrum of the first end of the front end of the telescoping tube 6on the flint 9 is identified by numeral I8. At the point where cylinderpart III of the tube means is pivoted to cap 4, a lug is formed aboutshaft 8 so as to limit, with respect to cap 4, the angular move ment ofthe flint driving mechanism, constituted by parts 6 to 8 and If) to 13(see FIG. 2).

Over the portion of the bed 3 in which the flint 9 is set (see FIG. 3),the cap 4 includes a central strap 14 provided with a bore taking aspring 15 and, at each of its ends, a small ball 16. Two races 17 on thesolid cradle 2 correspond to the balls 16.

Under such conditions the operation of the device is as follows: Becausethe pivot 8 of the telescopic tube 6 is located below a line AA joiningthe fulcrum of telescopic tube 6 on the flint 9 and the shaft 5 of thecap, substantially in the center of front end 18, the thrust reaction ofthe tube on the milled wheel creates a couple on shaft 5 which tends topull joint 8 away from the line AA and therefore keeps the wholeassembly in its working position.

When the flint 9 becomes worn, the fulcrum of the telescopic tube 6shifts, thus taking the line AA away from the joint 8, this increasingthe locking of the device and compensating the relaxation of the spring7.

The balls I6 mounted on the cap 4 and their corresponding races I7 oncradle 2 determine the mutual position of the cap and the cradle.

When a new flint has to be put in, one raises the cap I (see FIG. 2).The telescopic tube 6 rises with the cap and pivots on joint 8 until thebottom of the tube comes up flat against the inside surface of the cap.Because the joint 8 of the telescopic tube is parallel to pivot 5 of thecap and because of the restriction on angular movement of the telescopictube, this latter is automatically brought into position to take itsplace in its seating by simple depression of the cap.

Consequently, the rear portion of cap 4 which carries the shafts I, 5behaves as a small crank that transmits the movement of the shaft 8.

It is also possible to make the device without the cap, as shown in themodified or second embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. It will benoted that here the cap has been substituted by a small connecting rodor crank I9, having preferably double links for better mechanicalsupport, and provided with a small notch 20 which allows operation bythe user of the device.

It will be understood that the modified device of FIGS. 4 and 5 operatesin the same manner as that of FIGS. I and 2, only that there is no capto cover the structure, and there is a more direct connection betweencradle 2 and cylinder II), by the intermediary of the respective shaftsor pivot points 5 and 8.

During the closure (mainly of the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1through 3), piston 11 first comes to rest on flint 9. Then the spring 7is compressed until joint 8 travels along line AA. As soon as it passesbeyond the line, the action of spring 7 guarantees the setting oftelescopic tube 6 at the bottom of bed 3 in working position.

Similar considerations will apply to the second embodiment, in whichhowever the user of the device would not operate the cap (for example,by means of the small notch 4A shown in FIG. 1) but the connecting rod19 by taking hold of it at notch 20.

It should be understood, of course, that, without exceeding the scope ofthe invention, structural details of the arrangement thereof can bealtered in order to obtain a like result. These modifications or changesare believed to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is, for instance, unnecessary for the cap 4 to be joined to thelighter. It would sufflce for its end located oppositely from thefulcrum of the telescopic tube 6 relative to the jointure of same to bebutted in such a way that the thrust reaction from tube 6 on milledwheel 1 may lay said tube in the bottom of its housing.

As has been shown with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, it is not necessaryto have a cap. It is sufficient in the modification for the telescopictube 6 to be joined to the small connecting rod 19, securing the workingof its rear portion, corresponding to that of the cap of FIGS. 1 and 2.

It would also be possible to replace hollow piston 11 by a small rodpassing inside spring 7 and sliding into a drilled part replacingcylinder l0.

What I claim is: 1

1. A lighter of the typeignited by friction between a rough surface anda pyrophoric stone or flint, comprising a flint driving mechanismincluding helical spring means and a spring guide therefor, the latterengaging the flint for maintaining the latter in contact with the roughsurface and in position in the lighter, a member articulated on saidflint driving mechanism by first pivot means and on a portion of thelighter by second pivot means, for attaching said flint drivingmechanism to said portion of the lighter, so that when said flintdriving mechanism is positioned in the lighter, said first pivot meanscrosses a line extending between a contact point of said flint drivingmechanism on said flint and said second pivot means.

2. The lighter as defined in claim 1, wherein said spring guide includesa telescoping tube encompassing said spring means.

3. The lighter as defined in claim 1, wherein said flint drivingmechanism includes a portion acting as a stop member for limiting theangular movement of said flint driving mechanism about said member.

4. The lighter as defined in claim 3, wherein said spring guide includestelescopic tube means spported on said member by way of said first pivotmeans.

5. The lighter as defined in claim 1, further comprising a housing forsaid flint driving mechanism, said member being in the form of anelongated cap for closing said housing.

6. The lighter as defined in claim 1, wherein said member is in the formof a small connecting rod which has said first and said second pivotmeans thereon.

1. A lighter of the type ignited by friction between a rough surface anda pyrophoric stone or flint, comprising a flint driving mechanismincluding helical spring means and a spring guide therefor, the latterengaging the flint for maintaining the latter in contact with the roughsurface and in position in the lighter, a member articulated on saidflint driving mechanism by first pivot means and on a portion of thelighter by second pivot means, for attaching said flint drivingmechanism to said portion of the lighter, so that when said flintdriving mechanism is positioned in the lighter, said first pivot meanscrosses a line extending between a contact point of said flint drivingmechanism on said flint and said second pivot means.
 2. The lighter asdefined in claim 1, wherein said spring guide includes a telescopingtube encompassing said spring means.
 3. The lighter as defined in claim1, wherein said flint driving mechanism includes a portion acting as astop member for limiting the angular movement of said flint drivingmechanism about said member.
 4. The lighter as defined in claim 3,wherein said spring guide includes telescopic tube means spported onsaid member by way of said first pivot means.
 5. The lighter as definedin claim 1, further comprising a housing for said flint drivingmechanism, said member being in the form of an elongated cap for closingsaid housing.
 6. The lighter as defined in claim 1, wherein said memberis in the form of a small connecting rod which has said first and saidsecond pivot means thereon.